NBA 2K23 Reviews

NBA 2K23 is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2022

NBA 2K23's on-court improvements should've led it to an easy layup, but the ever-present nuisance of pay-to-win microtransactions make it much harder to enjoy.

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Sep 14, 2022

No sports game gets the past right quite like NBA 2K23 – and its present-day immersiveness is incredibly powerful, too.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2022

Overall, NBA 2K23 is a fitting tribute to the historical legends and iconic moments that made this sport what it is today. Though the game has its fair share of issues with its poor narrative choices and omnipresent microtransactions, it’s still a solid improvement over the previous game. This year’s release isn’t quite the flashy free-throw line dunk that lands a perfect score, but it is a worthy, all-around effort that would earn M.J.’s shrug of approval.

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8 / 10
Sep 13, 2022

NBA 2K23 is a return to form for the usually exceptional series, improving gameplay while imbuing a sincere love for basketball history into new and reimagined modes.

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Polygon
Top Critic
Unscored
Sep 16, 2022

There is a lot to evaluate in NBA 2K23, and a lot of that evaluation is yet to come from its restive community, various influencers, and people like me. But NBA 2K23’s appeal and value, for once in a very long time, far outweighs its raw and constant calls to spend money, and the guilt and icky feelings that brings. As I said back in August, if nothing else, no one can complain that Visual Concepts did nothing for its franchise mode. So if the microtransactions truly bother you that much, you can always go to MyNBA Eras and rewrite 40 years of history at no extra cost.

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Luke Plunkett
Top Critic
Unscored
Sep 19, 2022

That’s naïve, overly-simplistic advice, maybe, but we’re a decade into this series’ slide straight into hell and nothing else seems to be working, so it’s worth a shot.

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90 / 100
Sep 13, 2022

NBA 2K23 is one of the best games ever to jump onto a sports court. Its playable and audiovisual fundamentals are beyond doubt, but the addition of historical modes to its roster is a better move than the selection of Michael Jordan in the third place of the 1984 Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Forbes
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2022

The NBA 2K franchise is back and moving in the right direction. After years of stagnant gameplay mechanics and subtle improvements to its franchise mode, this year’s game has taken huge, direction-defining steps. NBA 2K23 offers an amazingly customizable experience. With the exception of a few perhaps philosophical issues and some lingering old assets still in use, this year’s version registers as an All-NBA first team selection within the series’ storied history.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2022

There's no denying it: NBA 2K23 is once again a sports game of the highest level, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Jordan Challenge and the retro options. However, it's getting harder and harder to perceive the visual and gameplay improvements, along with the most aggressive micropayment system in the entire industry.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2022

NBA 2K23 was able to build on the success of last year’s release and provide us with the basketball experience we have always wished for. It seems the series has taken a good step towards achieving what seems to be near and perhaps in the next installments, a remarkable transformation into one of the best sports games

Review in Arabic | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2022

NBA 2K23 is one of the best entry in the series so far, thanks to its devout tribute to the story of the sport and a few gameplay innovations. ERA MyNBA e the Jordan Challanges represent the best example of sport digital storyitelling in the world of videogames, while MyTeam and MyCareer suffer from the usual monetization policy, even if The City is far more engaging than the last year. On the court NBA 2K23 is a solid basketball experience, with a new shooting system that feels simple and consistent.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Sep 9, 2022

NBA 2K23 does a killer job of opening the floor to those that are new to the franchise, or those returning for their umpteenth time. With gorgeous visuals that help solidify this as one of the best-looking games of the generation so far, to controls that let you feel like a pro, there's very little to complain about here.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2022

NBA 2K23 is both fantastic and frustrating, where VC is a huge problem, but new modes like The Jordan Challenge is thoroughly enjoyable.

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Sep 26, 2022

Bothersome microtransactions aside, NBA 2K23 delivers a nearly flawless sports sim.

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Sep 12, 2022

NBA 2K23 is a step up for the NBA 2K series as far as gameplay and in-game elements go, and the new additions to modes like MyNBA and MyTeam help the game modes feel less stale as a whole. However, the game's incredibly heavy reliance on microtransactions continues to hold back what is otherwise an incredible sports game.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2022

NBA 2K23 makes some worthy adjustments to gameplay, making this more entertaining without losing the game's fundamental presentation and feel. At the same time, even the map shrink in The City isn't enough of an addition to make 2K23 worth a must-buy status. Not enough of the game changes to merit a purchase this year, unless you maxed out everything in last year's release and want a fresh start. NBA 2K23 is more for die-hard fans than every before.

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8 / 10
Sep 16, 2022

It may be easy to accuse sports games of offering the same experience year in and year out, but you simply can't say that about NBA 2K23. The game still has issues with its overemphasis on microtransactions in MyCareer and to a lesser extent MyTeam, but the new MyNBA Eras mode is a revelation – and the Jordan Challenge campaign is damn fun, too. On the court, 2K Sports has made some nice balancing tweaks and also improved the overall AI to make matches more dynamic and competitive, and when you pair all of that with all the new animations, you end up with a basketball sim that's the very definition of a slam dunk.

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Sep 16, 2022

Visual Concepts and 2K’s clever enhancements to NBA 2K23 allow for the most authentic experience to date.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2022

NBA 2K23 builds on last year’s rock-solid entry with some well-considered on-court changes, a deeper, more satisfying career mode, and an array of accessible nostalgia-tweaking content. Most refreshingly, almost none of these additions are designed to push extra spending. If Visual Concepts stays hungry, NBA 2K23 could be the beginning of a new dynasty that would do its cover star proud.

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79 / 100
Sep 21, 2022

Overall, NBA 2K23 has some of the best gameplay in an NBA 2K game. While the MyPlayer mode is a bit of a shadow of its former self, the various additions and changes to MyTeam and MyNBA make up for it overall. Despite being on point in most areas, the Virtual Currency situation will definitely affect players’ enjoyment of the game. While the term “pay to win” does come to mind, NBA2K23’s gameplay and various modes are still very well done.

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